ST. CLOUD Saturday morning kicked off the high school division of the Great Plains Alliance tournament at Tech High School and Sartell Community Center.

Central Minnesota-based MN Comets hosted the five division, 60-team tournament that gave Division III, NAIA and junior college coaches their first live glimpse of high school prospects since COVID-19 began canceling tournaments in March.

I got to watch over a dozen local players in five games throughout the day Saturday. Here arefive takeaways from a full day of action at the Great Plains Alliance:

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1. Diew, Lund keep improving

Thomas Diew capped off his sophomore campaign at Apollo by scoring the winning basket in the section 8-3A final over Alexandria, and he started off the scoring for Comets Elite 2022 on Saturday with a fast break layup. Diew finished with 8 points and two blocks, showcasing his wide-array of post moves. Sartell's Mason Lund had 7 points and 4 rebounds off the bench, and Comets Elite finished their day 3-0 with all three wins by double figures. The 6-foot-6 wing Lund and 6-foot-8 post Diew should be on college radaras they enter their pivotal junior seasons.

Alexandria's Kristen Hoskins dishes a pass for MN Comets Elite 2022 Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, at Tech High School.(Photo: Zach Dwyer, zdwyer@stcloudtimes.com)

2. Alexandria will be dangerous in 2020-21

Alexandria was only one bucket away from making an appearance at state in 2020. The Cardinals lose only two starters next season and return all three all-conference starters.Two of their leading scorers will be back in juniors Kristen Hoskins and ErikHedstrom, and both were on display Saturday morning for Comets Elite 2022. Hedstrom knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points, and Hoskins led the pace and offense to finish with 10 points. Both averaged double figures as sophomores, and they will be a force in the Central Lakes Conference this upcoming season.

Sartell's Gus Gunderson makes a no-look pass for MN Comets Kirchner Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, at Sartell Community Center. (Photo: Zach Dwyer, zdwyer@stcloudtimes.com)

3. Comets Kirchner has plenty of talent

Central Lakes all-conference guard Gus Gunderson had a great all-around game on Saturday night for MN Comets Kirchner, shooting 4-7 from the field and adding four assists and three rebounds. Gunderson showcased his court vision and awareness on multiple no-look passes, leading the offense in a similar manner as his junior season at Sartell. Granite Ridge all-conference post Andrew Hahn of Albany finished in double figures with 10 points on 4-5 shooting and grabbed four rebounds. He played similar to his high school season by setting great screens, fighting for rebounds and being reliable in the post. Sartell guard Evan Templin just finished his sophomore year but is playing upa grade with Comets Kirchner, and he finished the game strong with three baskets in the closing minutes of a 77-55 win.

ROCORI's Jayden Philippi high fives a teammate for MN Matrix Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, at Sartell Community Center. (Photo: Zach Dwyer, zdwyer@stcloudtimes.com)

4. MN Matrix love their space

The Matrix featured three upcoming seniorsin Ethan Opsahl (Sauk Rapids), Sam Stolzenberg (Cathedral) and Jayden Philippi (ROCORI) in the 22-team junior division, but they ran into a tough foe in Select Ohnstad on Saturday night. The Matrix used incredible spacing and cutting to constantly look for open three-pointers, running a more fluid offense than any other game I watched on Saturday. However, the trio combined for only three field goals and the Matrix couldn't get on any shooting hot streaks to stick with Select's superior size and speed on the fast break.

Tech High School was one of the host sights of the MN Comets Great Plains Alliance tournament Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, at Tech High School.(Photo: Zach Dwyer, zdwyer@stcloudtimes.com)

5. Safety first

To be able to pull off a 60-team tournament in today's world is quite an accomplishment. Players assembled outside Tech High School and the Sartell Community Center by signs for their court, entering as a team with masks on until they reached their court. Temperature checks were done at the door, and players and the limited number of fans were funneled out a different entrance after games.

Overall it was a great day of AAU's return to St. Cloud. The event ran on time and seamless throughout the day, giving high schoolers another weekend to feel a sense of normalcy being back on the court.

Zach Dwyeris a sports reporter and photographer for the St. Cloud Times. Reach him at 320-406-5660 or zdwyer@stcloudtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @sctimeszach.

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Five takeaways from the Great Plains Alliance tourney - SC Times